Stereoscope



April 14, 194;, D. P. MossMAN STEREOSCOPE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 21, 1940 April 14,1942. D. P. MOSSMAN STEREOSCOPE I Filed Dec. 21, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i a w a i E 0. g r

April 14, 19 2- D. P. MOSSIMA'N 2,279,904

STEREOSCOPE Filed Dec. 21, 1940 Es Sheets-Sheet s Patented Apr. 14, 1942 STEREOSCOPE 1: Donald P Moss man, Meadville, -Pa., assignor to Keystone'View Company,

Meadville Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 21, 1940, SerialNo. 371,180

' 4 Claims. (01. 88-29) This invention relatesto optical instruments and has specialjreference tOLB. stereoscope.

One important object of theinventioniisto improve the general construction of such stereoscopes.

.A second importantobject of the invention is to provide an improved mounting for a stereoiscppfl r H g A third important object of the invention is to provide an, improved form of stereoscope adapted for viewing both transparent and opaque stereoscopic pictures and the .like.

- A fourth important object of the invention is to provide an improved detachable shadow box constructionfor such a stereoscope.

A fifth important object of the invention is to provide an'improved form of stereoscope adapted foruse by oculists and optometrists. in detection of errors and deficiencies in vision.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction,-and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a. side elevation of the complete stereoscope;

Figure 2 illustrates a plan view of the stereoscope with the base omitted, the view being taken from the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 illustrates a section on of ;Fig. 2.with the mount omitted;

Figure 4 illustrates an enlarged section of the joint at the upper part of the mount, the view being a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Figure 5 illustrates a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of the joint shown in Fig. 4;

Figure 6 illustrates a section on the lines 6-6 of Figs. 1 and 9;

Figure 7 illustrates a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. '6;

Figure 8 illustrates a section on the line of Fig. 4;

Figure 9 illustrates a side elevation showing the stereoscope removed from the base and used as a hand instrument, both shadow box being removed; Figureilo illustrates a View somewhat similar to Fig. 9 but with the light box in place;

Figure 11 illustrates a view somewhat similar to Fig. 9 but with the shadow box in place; and

Figure 12 illustrates a detail section to enlarged scale on the line I2-l2 of Fig. 1.

In the form of the invention shown in the several views, there is provided a base l preferably supported on pads or legs I I. Projecting upwardthe line 3-3 the light box and the iii) ly from this baseis a pair of bearing lugs one of which is shown at 12. Through the lugs l2 extends a pivot bolt l3 whereon is mounted the lower. endof an'arm 14. A stop is provided to limit the swinging movement-of this arm in one direction. The stereoscope is provided with a binocular eye-piece IS in each side of which is a diaphragm I! on the rearface of which rests a pad orcushion I8'and a stereoscopic lens I9 is held against this pad by aframe 20. A hollow boss or lug 2| extends downwardly from the bottom of the eye-piece l6 at theforward end thereof. A yoke 22 has upwardly extending arms 23 between which the boss 2| fits, the armsbeing secured to said boss by screws 24. Said yoke also has downwardly extending arms 25 between which is received the upper'end of the swinging arm [4. Friction washers or pads'26 are provided between the end of the arm l4 and the arms 25 and a pivot bolt 21 extends through the arms 25,,pads 26 and upper end of the arm M. A stop pin 28 is screwed through one of the arms 25 and has its inner end engaged in an arcuate groove 29 formed in the upper end of the arm l4. This limits rocking movement of the eyepiece IE on the bolt 21. The boss 2| is provided with a hollow rearward extension 30 and a frame 3| is "secured to the'under side of the boss and extension by screws 32. The front and rear sides of the frame 3| are channelled as at 33 to receive a slide 34 which 'has a stop 35 screwed into its under side to limit movement of the slide by engagement with the frame ends. Between the slide 34 and the-top of the extension 30 is held a pair'of presser plates 36 urged apart by a, leaf spring 31 to frictionally resist longitudinal movement of the slide with reference to the eye-piece.

' A card and transparency'supporting frame 38 has aground'glass plate 39 fitted therein, and extending downwardly from the lower cross bar 4!] of this frame is a thumb piece 4|. The thumb piece "4! has a forwardly projecting portion 42 spaced below the forward part of the bar so that the rear end of the slide 34 may fit in the space thus provided and be there secured as by screws 43. Projecting forwardly from the lower front face of the frame at each side thereof is a'vertically extending T-sha-ped rib 44 and at the lateral edges of the frame are forwardly extending guard pieces 45, having at their lower ends inturned flanges 46 so that a card? may be positioned in front of the frame as in Fig. 10. The ribs 44 serve to support a transparency C or the like, as shown in Fig. 9.

A shadow box or hood 4! has itsside walls provided with hook-like extensions 48 to hook over the heads of the ribs 44 and thus removably hold the shadow box in front of the frame 38. The top wall of this shadow box is channeled at its rear edge as at 49 to permit insertion of a box lamp socket 54 cord 55.

The lower end of the arm; l4 provided on,

each side with friction washers Ma so that, when the screws l3 are tightened, the resistance to rocking motion of the arm I4 will be so regu- Slots 53 are provided for ventilation of the box and in one end is fitted a keyed having the usual connection v.

lated that the device may be held in any desired 1 position of adjustment.

Inaoperati'onythe device may. be used either with the .base or without the base and held in the hand: It'will be' seen that the device is easilyradjusted'to'a maximum or :minimum elevation, thus afio'rding fcomfort tothe'user dueto its ffbalance and angularity which enables the userrtositbcloseito' theginstrument. Theconstructiori provides alstable means of support in every position for the upper: parts which would otherwise tend to form atop-heavy structure.

Further, :thelmethodrof mounting the binocular,

provides maximum; space for the .users face, since his DOSEidOES' not'engage against a'post or therlike; f V The'utility" of this device will be .seen when it is considered that there are :millions ofrstereo graphsiimthe' libraries of many individuals a who may n'ever beinterested in the, newer developments; there are salsoxmany among this group whof'are-interested in maintaining their'present libraries of the: standard size stereograph in opaque'form: and enjoying themodern forms of application, and, of course; there arethose who ar'evonl'y interested in the latter. "Thesemodern interests have been brought about by the extensive'interest. that the: general. public has taken in photography since theadvent of the candid camera; 1T0. this the successful development of color photography has added a tremendous" interest. Thus, it is believed that I toxdevelop an.instrumentnthatprovides forwthe preservation of a systemzand the means of practicing another is an, invention of j the :first order and an addition to} the art. ,ToHbe specific-aboutthis, the card holder provides for-viewing the olderand larger size standardstereographin opaque, a new and more; convenient size-opaque, stereoscopic. format and thezadded convenience or facility for viewing transparent stereoscopic formats produced in certain.--popular sizes-available; .Theconstruction does-not necessarily require that thecard holder be aslarge as it is This isdonewith a view to forming {ac background :which will prevent' the userfrom-seeingbeyond that plane most of: the time when the'pholder .jisextended, to within the focal distance of the lens. This is valuable in that; for many people, it prevents the confusion causedbythe :tendency of the eyes to see beyond the cardholder r I As 'a description" of the operation of the device and; its several partshas been stated in connection-with? a; descriptioni of the partsand their assembly, a, ISllIlflfOf the operation. need not, it is thought, be given for an understanding of the invention by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. 'In a stereoscope, focusing means for the eye-piece, a hollow boss extending downwardly from the bottom of said eye-piece and provided with front and rear walls having oppositely disposed passages therein, a spring housing extending rearwardly from the rear wall of said boss and provided with a rear wall having an opening alined with said passages and with a top wall "spaced above said opening, a picture frame carry- .iing sliding bar extending through said opening andpassages, and spring friction means disposed in said housing between said top wall and sliding-bar. g

2. In, a stereoscope, focusing means for the eye-piece, a hollow boss extending downwardly from theybottom of saidueye-piece and provided with front and rear-lwalls having oppositely disposed lpassagesatherein, a. spring housing extending rearwardlyrfromsthe :rear wall of said boss and provided with a rear wallhaving an openingialined with said passagesiand with a top wall spaced above saidopening, a picture frame carrying sliding bar extending through saidopening and passages," spring friction means disposed in said :housingbetween said top wall and sliding bar; spaced bottom wall =sections extending rearwardly from the front wall of'said bossx'and forwardlyfrom the rear wall of the housing, and a stop element depending from saidsliding bar into the space between said bottom walls.

' 3.' In a 'stereoscope, picture supporting means including an' upright frame including ispaced sides. having a crossbar extending forwardly from its lower edge, T-shaped picture guides extending upwardly along the front faces of the frame sides wherebyfto hold a picture against the frame between saidguides'anda shadow box having side and top. walls, said side walls having their rear edges provided with upper portions.:adapted to engage the front faces of the frame :sides and with lower portions 'offset forwardly to engage the front faces of the picture guides, said sidewalls being spaced at such distance as to'have their lower portions engage the guides. adjacent the outer edges thereof and being provided at the junctions of the upper and lower' portions with downwardly opening slots engageable over the tops of said guides.

4. In a stereoscope, picture supporting means including an upright frame including spaced sides having .a crossbaruextending' forwardly from its lower edge; T-shaped picture (guides extending'upwardly along the front faces of the frame sides whereby to hold a picture against the frame betweensaidguides, and a shadow box havingside and top walls, said side wallshaving their rear edges provided with upper portions adapted to engage the front faces of the frame sides'and with lower portions ofiset forwardly to engage the front faces of the picture guides, said side walls being spaced at such distance as to have their lower portions engage the guides adjacent the outer-edges thereof and being providedjatthe junctions of the upper and lower portions with downwardly opening slots engageable over the top of said guides, said top wall having its, rear edge provided with a'shallow notch of a width substantially equal to the distance'between' the stems of the T-shaped guides to, permit introduction and removal of pictures.

-- 'DONALD P. MOSSMAN. 

